Author: Omer Farooq Khan
Publication: The Times of India
Date: January 14, 2015
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/Imran-Reham-face-wrath-of-Peshawar-terror-hit-school-parents/articleshow/45888327.cms

Pakistan's cricketer-turned-politician and chief of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, was stopped on Wednesday by angry parents from entering into a school in Peshawar where 142 children were massacred last month in a terror attack.

 Parents and family members of children who had lost their lives in the attack gathered outside Army Public School, as newly-wed Imran and Reham Khan accompanied by CM of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pervez Khattak, arrived at the school. He was earlier advised to postpone his visit to the army-run school as army chief General Raheel Sharif had to visit the school on the same day.

Holding placards, the protesters tried to stop Khan's vehicle from entering and complained that the provincial government failed to show any concern regarding the school attack. They said that it took Khan over a month to come to Peshawar.

 "You were in such a hurry for marriage that you couldn't wait for a month for us to overcome our grief," said an angry mother while another mother said that Khan had deserted them when they needed him the most.

 "For one whole day, media showed Imran Khan's wedding and Valima. They were not showing anything about the children anymore," she said.

 Urging the PTI chief not to politicize the Peshawar attack, a father of a deceased kid said, "We neither need Imran Khan nor Nawaz Sharif." "The 62-year old playboy (Imran) came after one month because he was busy with his wedding. He should be ashamed of himself," he added.

 Imran, however, managed to enter the school through a separate entrance. He shook hands with students while Reham Khan spoke to the children and signed autographs.

 Later, the PTI chief spoke to media saying that he was caught off guard with protest. He said that he only visited the school to stand with the parents and to increase the morale of the students.

 "I don't understand the reason for protest. I am just a party chief and Pervaiz Khattak is the chief minister of the province, but the school is run by the army," said Imran.

 "What kind of a protest can be there against us?" he asked. Imran said if the parents anger is emanating from the lack of security at schools then he should not be held responsible.

 "There were over 65,000 schools in K-P and police could not possibly provide security to all of them," he added.